You know, I didn’t want to broach this subject, because even arguing whether there’s a problem with country radio is such a reduction to the systemic and and bigoted way the institution is run, and it’s better to focus on solutions to these problems, like splitting the country format so conflicts like the ones I’m about to explain are less likely to happen. That should be the focus of this week’s CRS, or Country radio Seminar happening in Nashville. Instead about the only thing of value CRS has offered so far is a video of Dirks “Douglas ‘Big Rhythm Doug’ Douglason” Bentley and his band Hot Country Knights covering a Shania Twain song with Miranda Lambert.

This week, country music has been a battleground surrounding radio, and the way many worthy artists are locked out of the format from the oligarchical control at the hands of consolidated media conglomerates operated by corporate command bureaucrats. It all started when Sony Records Nashville CEO Gary Overton said, “If you’re not on country radio, you don’t exist.” Subsequently, multiple articles and interviews and editorials have been posted, including an interview here on Saving Country Music with Texas country Aaron Watson who responded to Gary Overton’s comments with, “My name is Aaron Watson. I’m not played on country radio. And I have the #1 record in country music this week. I do exist.”

This article stimulated iHeartMedia (formerly Clear Channnel) über DJ Bobby Bones to post a misinformed screed about why Grady Smith was incorrect, and Aaron Watson wasn’t worthy of radio play. Making it even worse, when Aaron Watson, who having spent a hour with him on the phone earlier this week I can attest is the most non-conflict sweetheart of a human being, went to the Bobby Bones studios Friday morning (2-27) just to make sure everything was cool and potentially patch things up, he was publicly called out on the biggest radio show in country music for being “disrespectful to women” because he called one of Bobby Bones’ underlings a “sweetheart.”

Yes, so now insult has been added to injury.

But let’s first go back and deal with the garbage that started all this from last night: Bobby Bones’ ridiculous attempt at intellectualism that was his rebuttal to Grady Smith’s piece on the problems with country radio (you can read Bobby’s note in its entirety below).

The first thing to take away from the Bobby Bones missive has nothing to do with the issue at hand, but the logistics surrounding Bobby Bones’ position as a country radio DJ. Here is the most powerful, most far-reaching DJ to ever sit in front of a mic in country music thanks to syndication and radio consolidation, and he doesn’t even have the power to choose his own music. “(note: I don’t pick the music),” he says in passing. And though this revelation is nothing new, it still is a blinding, stark reminder of where country radio is in 2015.

It’s “The Bobby Bones Show,” but the music played is picked by number crunchers and business executives. Bones is just there to add color by reciting movie lines with country celebrities and giving his stupid little insights into zeitgeist issues. “Hey, did you see those runaway llamas? What color is that dress?” That’s why Mr. Bones should leave the intellectual back and forth’s to others. He’s a spineless worker bee who never should have signed up to do anything that doesn’t even allow him to pick the tunes for his own show. The designation of “DJ” should be stripped from ever being associated with his name.

Bobby Bones is an on-air plastic banana lackey, and corporate country radio is a sexist, ageist autocracy with decisions being made on high by rich corporate bureaucrats pouring over profit and loss sheets. These assholes might as well be selling insurance. Radio and country music is just a commercial commodity to be bartered, and no concerns about enriching the community are ever broached, no matter how many times Bobby Bones loves to lob grenades at people behind the most powerful microphone in country music, and then hide behind Cancer charity once people simply try to defend themselves.

But this is country radio in 2015. Phyllis Stark writing for Billboard Country Update this week spoke specifically about this dilemma in a piece called “Why Must Country Singles Be ‘Worked’ To Be Played?” In the article she pretty much explains that not just DJ’s, but program directors of entire radio networks working under the umbrella of the big three radio corporations have little to no say so in the songs they can play. It’s all delegated from on high.

So if Bobby Bones doesn’t even have the authority to speak on the songs being played on his own radio show, what gives him the authority to speak on how singles are delegated by country radio? Bones has no clue how the songs played on his show come about. He shows up in the studio each morning, puts his wacky morning zoo segments together, and then the music is inlaid by someone else.

Bones even goes on to say in his Facebook note that he’s gotten in trouble in the past for playing snippets of 90’s country and Johnny Cash during studio segments. For someone whose named “Bones,” he sure evidences very few of them. He regularly blames the “suits” for anything bad, while taking credit or anything he can, including the end of Bro-Country a few weeks back, when many others, including Saving Country Music, have been prophesying Bro-Country’s demise for nearly a year.

No doubt Bobby Bones is right that music has moved from the album format to the singles format, but that doesn’t mean that album sales are either completely irrelevant, or that they’re not an accurate gauge of consumer sentiment. Something else Bobby Bones doesn’t take into consideration is that the Billboard albums chart now takes into consideration streaming and single sales when ranking albums, and still Aaron Watson’s The Underdog came out on top in country.

But where Bobby Bones really sticks his foot in his mouth is when he says, “I like Aaron, but I just checked and he doesn’t have a single song in the top 100 on iTunes.” Though that may have been true at that very moment when Bobby Bones decided to check the charts, Aaron has had numerous singles in the Top 100 on iTunes, including his first single from the album “That Look” which nearly topped the iTunes country charts upon its release, and charted on Billboard at #41. Also the song “Fence Post” charted high on iTunes, ironically, after Bobby Bones played a snippet of it on his show a couple of weeks ago.

But this is a cart-before-the-horse argument. Aaron Watson proves his commercial viability by selling more albums than any other artist, including major label artists who also debuted their albums the same week, and the industry should take heed, if not for Aaron Watson’s sake, then for the industry’s sake. The data of Aaron Watson’s #1 is a window into what people are listening to and what they want to hear more of. It’s then the responsibility of radio to serve their audience by finding worthy music to present to them. But then again, Bobby Bones has no say so in what music is played on his show, so why it’s even important to him is beyond me.

Something else lost in the argument about singles vs. albums is that cohesive albums represent such a dramatically-larger revenue stream for both artists and labels compared to singles, especially physical albums. Ignoring consumers that purchase albums isn’t smart, it’s bad business. Just ask Taylor Swift.

Bobby Bones is yet again an example of putting average people in extraordinary positions. With all due respect here, Bobby Bones is like a boy in a man’s world when it comes to these matters. Just like Florida Georgia Line, or Taylor Swift when it came to her pitch issues early in her career, when you put people of average merits on a pedestal, you preordain a precipitous fall.

And this isn’t where the hijinks of Bobby Bones in the last 24 hours end. He also attacked another syndicated radio show, “Big D and Bubba” in a tweet, mocking them by saying, “award feel good even though I couldn’t have been nominated this year? like The Rockets winning the title w no MJ on the Bulls.” Big D and Bubba took offense, and Bobby Bones has yet to apologize.

But once again in the spirit of trying to craft solutions instead of dwelling on if there’s a problem or not, this is why country music needs separation. The fact that one of Bobby’s underlings was offended by Aaron Watson saying “sweetheart” shows the gross cultural divide that exists in country music. Listen to the segment. They were scared of Aaron Watson because he actually wears wrangler jeans. They were in culture shock that someone who’s country showed up to their country show. Bobby Bones and his subordinates and listeners, these are not country people. These are urbanites and suburbanites and hipsters. They listen to Sam Hunt, and their inclusion in country music is taking the culture war and making country music its innermost battleground. Hey, it’s great if people from the suburbs and cities want to listen to country music, but have some respect for the format, and don’t try to force your uninformed values on others.

Bobby Bones doesn’t belong in country music, and his presence in the format is causing unnecessary friction and divisiveness, and other unnecessary ailments to the genre. He’s an interloper, and once he’s constructed his media empire he’ll move on with little to no care to the health of the format.

Later on The Bobby Bones Show Friday morning, even though they wouldn’t let Aaron Watson in the building when he wanted to see Bobby in person just to patch things up on a frigid morning, they took a phone call from Aaron, and after offering $1,000 to Bones’ charity, they finally buried the hatchet. It’s all because Aaron Watson is a better person than Bobby Bones, me, or most anyone else. Aaron Watson called for everyone to move on, and that’s the only reason this editorial isn’t taking on an even more harsh tone.

But here at Saving Country Music, the battle wages on. We can’t allow outside forces like Bobby Bones and Sam Hunt to overrun country music, and supplant worthy artists from receiving their proper due from the genre. Bobby Bones has come on to country music’s turf, and wants everyone to subjugate to his rules. And that is why even though artists like Aaron Watson and Blackberry Smoke are making history by hitting #1 on the albums charts, there’s still so much more work to be done.

The Bobby Bones Facebook Letter Posted Thursday 2-26-15

this article about “country radio being out of touch” because of Aaron Watson isn’t getting played is absurd. Not because the title is wrong, but because of why they wrote it.

First off, in a few ways COUNTRY RADIO IS OUT OF TOUCH. I got shit for playing awesome 90s songs on the air because we are “new country”. So many suits threw tantrums because of it. Then they researched it and said “you know, people like it when you do that”

NO SHIT.

I can save you research money about 95% of the time.

but NOT playing Aaron Watson isn’t the reason there is any sort of disconnect. Radio/purchasing music is a SINGLES game now. The ol internet allows us to buy 1 song at a time. So we do. Rarely does anyone buy an album anymore. (usually only if its one of our favorite artists) This is why the world flipped when Taylor sold over a million. Which is unheard of in a week now!

I like Aaron, but i just checked and he doesn’t have a single song in the top 100 on iTunes. and last time I checked, radio doesn’t play albums. They play hit songs.

I love radio. and radio is changing everyday. The days of it being a just “in your car” thing through a transmitter are coming to an end in the next 5-7 years. Its going to be in your car, but hooked through WIFI! Mine already is! Iheartradio, spotify,, podcasts, are all in the landscape now. Radio is still king, but the king realizes that other people are invading its territory…. and its cool w that (see Iheartradio which was created by my radio company).

Radio still dominates. and “you only play the same artists over and over” is what i hear all the time. (note: I don’t pick the music). but yeah, you know why??? Because people love and are buying those songs RIGHT NOW! Its a ratings game. Just like the local news, its still a business.

Radio is about hit songs. Not hit albums. Hopefully a song makes you check out an album… and you buy it then. If an album is great, it will thrive regardless of radio play (see Beck, Kacey Musgraves, etc as of recent). Within any industry, the cream always rises to the top.

however, this article is dumb.

sidenote: I’ve been scolded twice for playing Johnny Cash on the air the last 2 days.

sidenote 2: I also played Aaron Watson on the air earlier in the week (way before the article) and said I really liked the song. So Im pro Aaron Watson. Just anti that his album sales have anything to do with radio being disconnected.

sidenote 3: what up Aaron! you know Im a fan. don’t take this as a personal shot. everyone check out the album. The album just won’t be played on the show.

pardon the typos. this won’t be published anywhere. nor will many read it…. so screw it

198 Comments

Dave
February 27, 2015 @
10:57 am

Trigger, well said as always. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, if you are so inclined, on Bobby’s Twitter attack on the two fellows who won the radio DJs of the year, which he compared to the Houston Rockets’ two NBA titles during Michael Jordan’s first retirement.

I mentioned it up above in passing, but this is the thing about Bobby Bones: I could write two articles per week on his almost daily malfeasance, and I get many emails that go, “Did you hear what Bobby Bones said today?” But that just plays right into his attention-grabbing psychopathy, and so I’m just not going to feed into it by offering commentary on every stupid thing he does. I’ve been in the midst of a Bobby Bones moratorium, and the only reason I broke that today is because of the degree of Bobby stepping out-of-bounds.

And for anyone concerned that this was all under the bridge and now I’m just running the pile, you should have seen my rough draft. Good on Aaron Watson for being the bigger man and walking away and calling on calm. It’s his position as an artist to worry about the bigger picture, just like its my job to champion certain issues. What Bobby Bones said about radio is wrong, and it can’t go unchecked.

This article became invalid the second it impugned Bones for not programming the music on his show – that’s just simply not how radio works. He’s an on-air personality, not a PD. Anyone who doesn’t understand this really isn’t in a position to comment on these bigger issues (unlike Bones, who very competently spoke about what is actually going on in country radio). He’s using his influence exactly the way he can.

How the hell can this idiot claim Aaron Watson is disrespectful to women by saying “sweetheart” when his man crush Luke Bryan is out there oogling bikini clad “girls” and saying “girl, hand me another beer!”

I am a fan of Aaron’s music and I’m not sure this case with Bobby Bones staff member has any truth to it or not, but I have to say that this is not the first time I have heard of Aaron Watson not treating a female very well. Shortly after Honky Tonk Kid came out I heard form more than one female about him not treating females well and these were people who knew him and had absolutely no ax to grind. I know that was many years ago and age and family can mature people, so Aaron might be a lot different than that person they knew, but I thought in fairness it is something that should be mentioned.

All it says is that he called a female staff member “sweetheart”. While some people would consider addressing someone of the opposite sex in such a familiar way inappropriate or disrespectful, I can’t imagine anyone considering it “mistreatment”.

They were looking for an engaging radio segment and they found one. The idea that you have a country artist standing out in your lobby, and instead of talking to them, you’re going to make a big deal that he called one of the staff a “sweetheart” shows the skewed priorities of that show and Bobby Bones. Making a big deal about his “sweeheart” comment makes for better radio for these people than actually interacting with an artists standing 50 feet away trying to clear up a misunderstanding.

Terms like “sweetheart” in the workplace can, indeed, constitute harassment if unwanted and part of a pattern. Talk to any Human Resources manager about what constitutes harassment. That said, I have no direct insight into this incident.

Strangely enough I heard the entire segment this morning. It wasn’t that he called her “sweetheart”, she felt he said it in a way to her that was inappropriate, like he was talking down to her. Of course I don’t know exactly who they talked to, but during a break they said that they spoke to some people in the lobby who were not affiliated with the radio station and they confirmed he said it like he was talking down to her. I have no idea if they talked to anybody for real or not, but it wasn’t as simple as him just calling her “sweetheart”, like you might here someone from the south say in a polite manner a lot of times.

Your statement was that you can’t imagine anyone thinking “sweetheart” is problematic. I was responding to that general statement.

This is, however, a work situation for the woman, and though I don’t want to be in a position to defend Bones, it is appropriate for him to be concerned about how his employees are treated by guests (who are also there in a professional capacity.) That said, making it part of your radio show and, I suspect, bringing it up to discredit Watson’s argument is not an appropriate way to deal with such issues.

It doesn’t matter that Watson doesn’t work there. That said, I am willing to bet that he is not the first artist in that environment who has said sweetheart or darlin’ to a female employee. Bones can’t only be offended when a female employee speaks up.

Aaron is a genuine country boy from Amarillo, TX. “Sweetheart” is a normal term used to address any woman that he is trying to show respect to. George Strait may have said the same thing to the same woman, and she wouldn’t have thrown a fit. People who work in “country” music these days are so out of touch with their own genre’s roots. I find it unbelievable that someone can be offended by a country boy calling them sweetheart. It was not in any ways meant to be offensive. Aaron called my fiance “sweetheart” just a couple of months ago. We weren’t offended. Probably because I say it too. It’s a southern thing that has been going on for years. It used to be a term of great respect. Now, since so many people are so sensitive to words, they lose contact with context. Keep doing your thing Aaron. They will try to persecute you for staying true to yourself, and not conforming to their sub-par standards. Don’t stoop to their level. Congrats to the Honky-Tonk Kid.

The term “sweetheart” means a compliment to someone who have been very helpful to others. I had elderly ladies called me Sweetie and Sweetheart when I helped them out. In this case? I think Aaron called her Sweetheart because she was being helpful. It is a cultural saying in the south where people who you are not related as sweetheart for being caring and all that. I guess that woman is not even from the south to even make a complaint.

I think you’re right. We’re not getting the whole story. I hate bigoted one sided articles like this. A shame to true journalism and blogging. The only thing this article did was make me NOT want to buy Aaron Watson music and turn Bobby Bones on my radio!

How is this article one sided and make you dislike Aaron Watson?? The writer of the article presents his point of view, which any and all news articles do nowadays. The article also gives you the personal response one Bobby Bones about what happened. How is that one sided?? You also state you dislike Aaron Watson now because of this article. However, you state your distaste is for the article writer and they way they present the information so what does that have to do with the mucisian Aaron Watson and why does it make you dislike him and his music??

I disagree that sales should drive radio play, but do agree with your point about not shoving what they want people to buy down peoples’ throats.

Radio stations should present all new music appropriate to the format in order to let the listener get a taste of it, with some songs dropping out after a few weeks and others moving into heavier rotation and eventually retained for recurrent play based on listener reactions. These reactions should be gauged by direct feedback, independent surveys, and sales.

That’s how it worked from the beginning up time up until about the early 1990s, outside of a few payola scandals over the years.

A sudden downward shift in the demographic of the country listener, probably brought on by the influx of young artists in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Country radio stations suddenly found that they could compete with CHR, AC, and AOR stations for the tops spots in many markets where they previously had to be content with just being the best also-ran.

So they started using the top-down method of picking music to play that had been used in those formats for years, where the program director picks the songs that he/she thinks will be hits and tosses the rest.

Screw that I want DJs with a voice and personality who play what they like and are hip to. Radio DJs used to be almost like a curator or artist. You tuned into your favorite cats because they were hip to the music you liked and could steer you deeper into the waters. I want DJs who are cultured and have some knowledge of the music they play or have some real personality and are not just drones.

I know that kind of thing has long since been dead, but DJs used to celebrities. And the best; Ace of Space, Real Don Steele, Wolfman Jack, Dave Morey (my hero) brought you knew sounds you may not have heard elsewhere, yeah yeah payola and all that… but seriously I’ve heard some bland DJs and I’ve heard some DJs who make the music come even more alive through their passion to the art and cultivating it’s future. Forget sales let’s let the DJs do their job and the ones who are good will get listened to and others will die out.

What is important to recognize, however, is that ever since the beginning of last decade, album purchases by young people have dropped dramatically due to the rise of online music. As a result, the average album buyer is now likely significantly older than the average music fan, resulting in significantly different tastes.

Why is Taylor Swift the only recording artist in history to produce a hat trick of consecutive million-selling albums in their opening weeks? How did Drake manage to land a “mixtape” at #1 and sell over half a million in its opening week despite the disadvantage of not having a whole chart week? Or Beyonce, for that matter?

The mean listening demographic that you can most expect to consume these albums, I can guarantee, is much more in sync with the Florida Georgia Line/Sam Hunt generation than the Brooks & Dunn/Travis Tritt generation. Perhaps you can customize a fascinating and incisive study that will confirm younger demographics are most enthused and “pumped” to purchase an album in its opening week than a more senior demographic would, but more senior demographics are far more likely to be a “slow and steady wins the race” kind of consumer that ensures its longevity in its broader commercial run. But let’s not forget which demographic traditionally gets many albums on the radar.

I am seeing charts like soundcheck and all that that a lot of radio stations have been playing Aaron Watson’s music since 2007 when I discovered him on MySpace. Some of his songs almost reached the Top 40. While some of the country songs that they play on these big radio stations even the one in my state that have Bobby Bones on? Never even reached the top 80. If the radio stations do split? Many country charts will show Aaron Watson at the top of the single charts, and acts like Brantley Gilbert, Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett, Swon Brothers, Dan & Shay, Jason Aldean, Kip Moore, Randy Houser, Chase Bryant, John King, and others not registering in. The problem is that most of these acts really belong to the Main Stream Charts than country. The Band Perry’s remake of the Glenn Campbell’s classic Gentle On My Mind is a true traditional country sound, and radio stations refuse to play that song, and they were one of their favorites to play since the brothers look like rock stars and all that.

“The designation of “DJ” should be stripped from ever being associated with his name.”

The funny thing about this is that, ‘way back when I got out of radio a dozen or so years ago, the term “Disc Jockey” or “DJ” had become mostly obsolete for air talent. These days (and even back then) most music radio stations play is stored on hard drive; since they no longer “spin discs” the term no longer has any real connection to what is done in the studio. So the term “announcer” is what most professionals use as it is more descriptive of what they actually do for a living. Plus it helps differentiate on-air announcers from guys who run sound and light shows who have described themselves as deejays for year.

Bobby Bones had the clip from the interview and his staff member’s reaction posted on Facebook this morning – just went to look for it and it has since been taken down – not to mention there are now a heck of a lot of fan posts defending Aaron and disagreeing w/ how Bobby & staff handled the situation.

as a volunteer “broadcaster” on a local listener supported station which has been around 30 plus years it amazes me that folks continue to support local radio with their hard earned money..tHANKs Kyle for following this whole mess…the day I am told to plug or play certain songs I’ll go back to the house…LJ

I was reading the post at the time it was removed. I tried to comment but got the error message and then tried to go back to the post and realized it had been removed. Right before it was removed it had approximately 200 comments and there was only 3 defending the BBS for how they handled the situation. I’m sure they deleted it because they realized how offended their fans were over it and were not just going to jump on the hating band wagon.

I’m not defending either side here, but I think on our part, it’s not right for us to get up in arms over the “Sweetheart” comment because we only have the producer’s side of the “offensive encounter”. Watson may have said it demeaningly, or he may have said it as a southern gentleman sort of way, and it’s possible she took offense to being called “sweetheart” outright. It’s all very he said-she said.

But I have an issue with Bobby Bones saying (paraphrases here) “don’t call my female producers/co anchors sweetheart” “don’t disrespect the females on my show” but “go right ahead and call the males disrespectful or insulting names.” While I get he’s trying to defend his staff, I think he’s just as disrespectful to women in that nature. It’s almost like a “my female cast can’t take an insult because they’re sensitive, but we tough dudes can” sort of attitude.

Bobby Bones was attacking Aaron Watson for being disrespectful, when Aaron was standing in his lobby and he wouldn’t even meet with him. And Bobby wasn’t present for the initial interchange either, but decided to use it as topic fodder without getting both sides—while Aaron is still standing in the lobby. In fairness, if you listen to the second player in the story, Aaron does tell his side, and even though he disagrees with the assessment of how he said “sweetheart,” he still vehemently apologizes.

Basically this is Bobby Bones using a throw-away term of endearment as material for his show and a way to elevate himself as chivalrous when he was being anything but.

I like the Aaron Watson album and Bobby, but just remember that every time you say someone isn’t country and doesn’t deserve to be in the format (which seems like nearly every article), that people said the same thing about all those dang rock guitars when Garth started, too. They called Kenny Rogers and Dolly pop in the 80’s. Glen Campbell doesn’t sound particularly country in a lot of his songs, either. So I’m not sure what “real country” is.

There’s not much of anything country about Brooks’ “Ain’t Goin’ Down ’til the Sun Comes Up” (besides the lyrical content) or Rogers & Parton’s “Islands in the Stream,’ is there? I don’t know Campell’s catalog well enough to make specific comments, but I’m sure he was right up there. Pop is pop.

That’s kind of my point. The apparent bright line in the sand that this site seems to be all about doesn’t really exist. “Pop” isn’t really a genre, it’s a qualifier. Rock, metal, hip-hop, dance, and country have all been “pop” at one point or another and saying someone isn’t really country because they are pop is almost nonsensical. An every genre with living, breathing humans creating it is also going to change over time. That’s just part of life. Country doesn’t sound the same today as it did 30 years ago, but 30 years ago didn’t sound the same as it did 30 years before that. Modern reggae doesn’t sound like Bob Marley anymore. Modern rock doesn’t sound like the Beatles anymore. Modern metal doesn’t sound like Ozzy anymore. Modern reggae doesn’t sound like Bob Marley anymore. Modern hip-hop doesn’t sound like The Sugarhill Gang anymore. Things change and some people just need to deal with it.

You can search the vast Saving Country Music archives accumulated over the last eight years, and you will not find one single instance where I have suggested, advocated, or promoted the idea that country music should still sound like it did 30 years ago, or sixty years ago. This is a gross misconception that is continuously offered up in the defense of certain new artists to make fans who are concerned about the direction of country music seem closed-minded and outmoded. On the contrary, I believe country music should evolve, but unfortunately many of the artists who claim to be helping that evolution are actually devolving the music from the standpoint of very specific measurable benchmarks. It is statistical fact that country music is devolving. Though you can find some purists who do say all country music should sound like Hank Williams forevermore, this is a minority viewpoint, and should be used to represent the viewpoint of everyone who doesn’t like Florida Georgia Line for example. Allowing country music to evolve while still keeping the music grounded in its roots is the only way to give country music a sustainable future.

I’m genuinely interested in those measurable benchmarks and statistical facts? How do you quantize inherently qualitative things? I also want to know what the roots are that you think they are leaving behind. If it’s storytelling, then it seems like most reviews on here are just about not liking the content of the stories rather than the actually storytelling methods themselves. Are the roots the actual sound? Because the sound is going to change over time. Are the roots the cliche “country” tropes? Because we’ve always had hose in spades. David Allen Coe made fun of that way back in the ’70s. I’m just not sure what you actually want country music to be when you tear apart anything remotely new.

I’ll add a positive note here, Kacey Musgraves just debuted her first single off her new album. Song is called “Biscuits” and is co-written by Brandy Clark. It goes to radio on March 17th, I’m sure they will ignore it.

Kacey may have played the single at CRS and said she’s releasing it on March 17th, but she’s yet to release a studio version, and the one being passed around online is an acoustic version for 9 months ago taken on a cell phone. I’ll reserve judgment until I actually hear the real version of the song.

Just my opinion but Watson should do what a lot of other Texas and underground artists do. Ignore the existence of Nashville. Don’t pick fights necessarily but don’t go to their game and complain about the rules. The way it comes off now is that Watson really wants to be part of their crowd and they won’t accept him when he would be much better off being seen as the guy who doesn’t need them and doesn’t care.

You’re on a role lately, Trigger! I just love that all of this began with Overton’s comment. It’s pretty ironic that his words sparked this whole chain of events (including the killer quote from your interview) that led to Watson being on country radio in a very big way today. And hey, now he’s back to No. 1 on iTunes! Only place I really differ w/ you is with his producer, who sounds to me like she really didn’t want this all aired to the country. That’s what frustrated me — the recklessness of immediately broadcasting some pretty damning opinions about an outsider without giving him a chance to speak up.

Well said, Grady. As much as I love and respect Aaron Watson and his work, (he’s called me sweetheart numerous times because that’s how the southern gentleman speaks) my biggest issue with this whole ordeal is the irresponsible broadcasting by Bobby Bones. It’s not something that anyone who actually respects the broadcast industry would do. Irresponsible and unprofessional.

If you listen to bobby bones you know he always “gets in it” with the suits because he doesnt think they play what the people want to hear. For example he complains that Sam Hunts single, Take Your Time isn’t getting enough exposure on radio even though its the number 1 song on iTunes. What makes Aaron Watson any different?

Bobby Bones is a fucking tool. I’m not normally one for much cursing but this idiot just boils my blood. He’s a nobody with no talent that thinks he’s the most important thing in country music since acoustic guitar. Yet 95% of the topics he covers with “Lunchbox” and Amy are inane, ignorant fluff that has no intellectual value whatsoever. Even worse, it’s not even about country music! You could take his dumbass show and put rap or pop songs in the intervals and it wouldn’t make a difference until he starts insulting real country artists or bitching about how he deserves an apology from Kacey Musgraves, because he’s more important than her (and never needs to apologize for his own stupidity that actually IS offensive). Oh, yes, Aaron Watson is sexist. Excuse Mr. Bones while he praises Luke Bryan and the suits line up the next Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean singles.

What the fuck is wrong with this guy? What have country music fans done to deserve so much bad luck lately? Sure, we can talk about how FGL, Aldean, Bryan and Blake Shelton are lacking in self-awareness, but Bobby Bones make them look like bastions of contemplation by comparison. Bobby: you don’t have a job because people want you to be their “DJ.” You have a job because you were chosen as chief puppet by your bosses. Make no mistake, no one will miss you when you’re eventually replaced. A few years later, no one will even remember your name. Compare that with the good will and nostalgia that the many radio helmers you replaced engender from their former listeners.

Ugh. You nailed it with this one, Trigger. That douchebag picture that you use for all of your articles concerning Bobby Bones paints the picture without a single word. Not only is this guy an idiot, he’s not country in the slightest and is just the radio version of a vapid reality show celebrity. Kim Kardashian, eat your heart out. The only reason these people “care” about “country” music is because it makes them feel good about themselves, as if they’re cultured or something.

Very well said! I saw Bobby at CRS.. definitely not country at all. I heard things that were said at CRS, panelists and such.. made me sad for country. BUT, several great artists like Chris Stapleton did get standing ovations, so there’s a plus. Anyway, I agree and couldn’t have said it better myself. This is why I don’t listen to Bobby Bones or WSIX and I’m very riled up about this whole thing too, especially Bobby’s twitter comments and comments about people not buying CDs. !’m 23, I own about 190 CDs, I buy vinyl too and I work in a record store. Absolutely insulting from Bobby. But is he apologizing? Heck no.

“Radio still dominates. and “you only play the same artists over and over” is what i hear all the time. (note: I don”™t pick the music). but yeah, you know why??? Because people love and are buying those songs RIGHT NOW! Its a ratings game. Just like the local news, its still a business.”

People buy the songs BECAUSE radio plays them to death, not the other way around. If radio doesn’t exist, FGL doesn’t happen. But, because radio played that stupid “Cruise” song 4 times an hour, people got it stuck in their heads and bought it. The fact that Aaron’s album sold 24,000 copies in its first week – in a world that “doesn’t buy albums” speaks VOLUMES about what people want to hear. If the CD averages 10 bucks, he sold nearly a quarter million dollars in one week … without Radio Play. And Bones somehow thinks that’s insignificant?

And this coming from a guy who signed a contract that cut his balls off as far as defining tastes for the genre. What an idiot.

Amen! There was a session at CRS about this exact topic that I attended and those were my thoughts about it too. Radio doesn’t take responsibility.. I heard “my city wants to hear FGL and Luke Bryan so that’s why I play them, give the people what they want! Look at the numbers!” so much it was insane. Wild thought, but maybe the flow is or should be radio to fans, not fans to radio? Radio has more power than they think to influence opinions and music consumption. Play Jason Aldean 40 times a day, people will buy Aldean. Throw in Brandy Clark or Ashley Monroe? People will want to buy Brandy Clark and Ashley Monroe.

Unreal. 1. He wouldn’t have him in studio, but jumped on the chance to put his phone call on the air. 2. He referred to his female coworkers as “girls.” Some would consider that disrespectful. They are grown women.

Having had a 10 year career at an Austin, Texas country music station, Bobby Bones should have spent plenty of time getting to know the popular Texas Country Music stars, their music, and their stories. Since Aaron Watson was an up and coming Texas Music star during these same 10 years (touring all over the great state of Texas, often selling out shows 3 nights a week), I find it hard to believe that Bobby Bones does not feel like he knows the true type of person that Aaron is and that Bones can question Aaron’s intentions and integrity. Luckily, Aaron Watson is the kind of person that knows himself, his intentions, and his level of integrity. He knows that he has the love of God in the center of his heart and that this love guides his words and his actions. In 2015, we have enough daily battles to fight with an obesity epidemic, a national healthcare crisis, civil wars and killing of innocent people around the globe, childhood starvation and neglect just to name a few. We certainly don’t need to be wasting our time attacking, belittling, and demeaning each other all because we are too quick to judge someone else.

This is the problem: Bobby Bones never worked in country radio until Clear Channel gave him the biggest show in the history of the genre this side of the Grand Ole Opry. When he was in Austin, he was doing a pop show. He had no idea what was going on in Texas country or in country in general. That’s what makes him uniquely unqualified for his position. He proved that this morning.

That’s not completely true, while he was on a pop station they did mention Texas Country. Amy from what I remember was a huge fan of Aaron. They had Josh Abbott on the show, and Curtis Grimes (from when he did The Voice) so it’s not like they don’t know who is who in Texas Country.

I disagree that Bobby Bones isn’t qualified to do his show simply because he doesn’t know much about country music. For pete’s sake, he is a morning show DJ. His job is to say silly, mildly amusing things in between the songs. Maybe interview a signer now and then, and throw some softball questions to the singer. Read off some “Weird News” type stories. Et cetera.

Why should Bones need to know anything about country music to be a country music DJ? Its not the DJ that decides what songs get played, so as long as he can pronounce the names of the artists and fill the air with some inane banter, he is qualified.

Perhaps as an entertainer, Bones should be able to get publicity for the show and “create good radio”. Maybe a manufactured controversy here and there to get the people talking.

Bobby Bones may not be particularly intelligent or even knowledgeable. But you don’t have to be to do his job. Whether we like what country radio has become, He is certainly qualified to host a dumb country music radio show.

We have enough daily battles to fight with an obesity epidemic, a national healthcare crisis, civil wars and killing of innocent people around the globe, childhood starvation and neglect just to name a few.

No offense, but I really get tired of this line of argument. This is a country music website. Not a modern news website. I think Bobby Bones’ asshattery is a perfectly legitimate thing to discuss here.

If there was ever a guy I wanted to pick up a weapon and fight for because they just come off as such genuinely great person it’s Aaron Watson.

In what just world should these urbanites be dictating what constitutes country music? It is absurd.

I’m almost at a lost for words about this entire situation. All I felt was rage when reading and hearing Bobby’s dismissive and disrespectful attitude towards Aaron. It made my blood boil. I felt like he was attacking a close personal friend of mine.

I listened to Bobby when he was on KissFm is Austin. He was a little whiny then and has gone full blown douche now.

I use to love hearing Alayna come in for segments but now it seems like they just had her come in and manufacture this entire thing. When they were in Austin, on a Top 40 pop station, Amy use to talk about Aaron Watson and how he was such a great guy, now that they moved to Nashville they completely forget?

What really annoys me is they barely even thank Aaron for wanting to donate to their charity!

No, if Luke Bryan showed up announced, it would’ve been, “OMG Luke! Come right in!!!! You’re welcome here anytime!!!” Then Bobby Bones would’ve personally gave him a blow job in the studio while the other two cronies sat around stroking Luke’s ego.

not sure how i feel about the over the top apology and ringing endorsement of BB. Sounds to me a little like AW thought he was going to slip BB a $1000 and get a couple prime time song spins. That producer sounded nervous as hell also like she knew she was making a mountain out of a mole hill at AW expense.

Seriously, I’m boggled by this argument. How are songs supposed to become hits to be played on the radio if they aren’t played on the radio in the first place??? That’s how it was when I was growing up. If these radio stations are so in the pocket of the big labels that they can’t play anything else, even an artist that’s hot right now and actually sounds commercial and radio-friendly, I’m not sure how things are ever gonna change. I mean, that sounds like it should be illegal, but I guess it isn’t.

This is what happens when city people control country music. This incident wholeheartedly proves that fact. If you were from the south or the country you would know that sweetheart, darling, honey, etc are not derogatory terms in this culture.

Aside from that, from a show that pushes artists like FGL with horrid, crass lyrics like “Stick my pink umbrella in your drink”; How the fuck is “sweetheart” offensive?

Radio still dominates? Ha. Even when I’m in other people’s cars (I NEVER turn the radio on unless its for a Royals game), they don’t listen to the radio. They hook their smart phone up and play Pandora or Spotify or the like. The people that actually still listen to the radio in their car are not the consumers of music.

Yes, I get that and “stats” are what they are. Maybe its different in other parts of the country, but around the midwest, its been a long time since I’ve come across anyone even slightly passionate about radio. Remember in the 80s people had bumper stickers of their favorite radio station? How often do you see a radio sticker on anyone’s car these days? Its just night and day where it was 20 or even 10 years ago. It will keep declining because competition and new car’s multimedia centers will keep pushing radio to the brink.

I’m originally from Ohio and I have multiple radio bumper stickers, just not on my car. I also listen to country radio, but more throwback classic country radio, in my car whenever I go out and I own 100+ CDs and vinyl. I purchase and consume music all the time.

Sarah, would you honestly say that radio is your #1 source for music? If you’re on this website and you love all types of music, my money is that you only listen to radio as a convenience than as your #1 option. I’m only speaking from my experiences with people, I certainly don’t claim to be all knowing. I’m just a big music fan and have witnessed the monumental shift in everything from how music is listened to (mp3) to where its sold (online) and to where its discovered (websites like this). 10 years and earlier, it was CD/tape/vinyl bought at a store (without being able to hear a single not being played) and you bought it because you heard it on the radio or at a party. The world of music has changed dramatically…

I wouldn’t necessarily rank them, but yeah, radio and CDs are probably tied for me up at the top. I listen to a station that plays 90s to current country, but mainly 90s, so I love hearing the songs that made up my childhood whenever I get in my car. I have also been known to turn on my stereo, which is CD/cassette/turntable/radio, and listen to that channel for a bit while I’m at home, but I do that less often. I also work at a record store where we sell tons of CDs and vinyl. Sure, online/digital is way more prevalent nowadays, but record stores still do exist and people still buy records. I guess the point is, music consumers can’t all be categorized into one big group.. like you can’t say “no one buys records anymore” or “radio is dead” because that doesn’t apply to everyone. There are specific markets out there with different characteristics. Believe it or not, the majority of our LP sales are to a younger demographic.. high school and college. Pretty cool.

That’s cool Sarah, and actually all I buy is records these days. I quit buying CDs about two years ago. I liquidated all the CDs I possibly could. I have tons of mp3s, but when I buy something its LP first.

In the South we call everybody “Sweetheart” “Babe” “Baby” and “Sweetie” We are not trying to offend anyone that is just the way we talk to males, females, young, old, and children. So Mr. Bonny Bones if you are ever in my neck of the woods and I meet you “Please” do not take offense if I call you Babe or Sweetie. It is nothing personal just the way I am. And yes I do listen to the Bobby Bones Show quite often. Later Tater.

Liza, call it whatever you want. I really don’t care, I am not self-absorbed and unlike you I try not to be judgement of people or the way they were raised. Everyone has there on way of talking and even though I do not agree with things like not say thank you, please, and you’re welcome or speaking when spoken to or just manners in general I do not feel that I have the right to assume I know people by what I read or see. So do not judgement because you do not know me.

Is this for real????? Aaron Watson is a classy individual, he does a lot for his fans and he’s a pretty humble individual. You’re seriously wanting him to apologize for saying “SWEETHEART”??? All this “that’s just inappropriate in the workplace” bull can just stop now, these people on the show aren’t anywhere close to class acts themselves. Seriously loved the show, now I have little respect for it and the people involve.

My daughter, Natalie Rose, opened for Aaron Watson recently and he was nothing but respectful. I find it hard to believe that he was disrespectful. He took the time to meet her, take pictures and encourage her. Not a lot of artists will do that. He’s tops in our book!

So it’s ok for the good ole country bros to call women “girl” and “baby” and “sexy” and talk about their “sugar shakers,” and for that horrendous Party Down South to portray women in such a way, but someone calling a woman “sweetheart” is disrespectful? Would she rather be called “sweet little something” or “pretty little thing” or whatever the bros say? If Luke Bryan had come on there and said his usual condescending pickup lines, she would’ve thought it was sweet. Because people like him can do no wrong. Or maybe women are so used to being looked down on and treated as objects that when someone is actually nice to them, they think it is disrespectful. Like “Girl in Your Truck Song.” Yep, that could be the issue. Thanks for ruining the values of our society!!!

Actually I’ve been open and honest about operating under a moratorium for Bobby Bones stories. I just don’t see the reward in giving him more attention. However when it comes to an issue like this, someone needs to speak up.

I think some of the funniest parts of all this was another Texas country music singer “Jericho Burley” ripping Bobby Bones, since last night. I saw on his Twitter where Bones suggested after one of Jericho’s comments, for him to (hug a root and called him an ass). This Bones guy is evil!

This is absurd! I have met Mr. Watson numerous times and he has been nothing but respectful!! So just so we are clear, it is ok for Luke Bryan to sing songs like Spring Break Up, where he just uses a girl for sex or for a rapper to call girls bitches, hoes or whatever. This is unbelievable!

This whole deal was pathetic all the way around. If she actually did take offense (probably exaggerated by her IMO), it shouldn’t have been mentioned on the show. Isn’t it a bit hypocritical that they talk about how what Aaron said was offensive and demeaning toward women, yet Bones goes on to say something to the effect of “if you upset our girls you upset me” as if he had to take up for her?

Aaron should have just left it alone. Coming back on the show and apologizing profusely made it seem like he was at Bones’ mercy, and Bones acting like a judge was lame. It played right into Bones’ ego.

I get what you’re saying, and that’s one of the reasons I don’t run Bobby Bones stories except in extreme cases, because in the end no matter what you do he wins because it gets him more attention. But I think Aaron really was trying to be sincere and solve the problem with kindness. It’s hard to fault him for that. If anything, he shouldn’t have gone to the studio in the first place. Bobby Bones is a master of instigating conflict and making it look like he’s the victim.

I think that’s a good assessment of what Aaron was trying to do, because he’s a quality guy. I certainly don’t fault him for his reaction, as it had to have been incredibly confusing to Aaron that he was suddenly being smeared on the biggest show on country radio for something so insignificant. I was simply trying to point out that it unfortunately came off like Aaron was coming back for trial in the Court of Bones.

Radio stations like the one Bobby Bones works for is why I stopped listening to country music. I only listen to 95.9 The Ranch out of Ft Worth that plays only TEXAS COUNTRY!! The DJ on the morning show, Justin Frazell not only PICKS the music he plays, he also KNOWS the music and usually KNOWS the artist personally!! The afternoon guy Shane Hollinger plays what he wants which is usually what back in the early 90’s would have been “side B” on the Cassett tape!! I also happen to be a channel changer (I hate commercials) and the regular country stations are still set in my truck and I PROMISE you EVERY SINGLE TIME I switch thru the stations either that damn Blake Shelton song or Jason Aldean’s latest is playing!! That can only mean as the article said, the SUITS pick the music and tell the DJ what to play!’ No thank you!! All you have to do is follow Aaron Watson on Insta or FB and know what kind of man he is, oh but THAT wouldn’t be a allowed on Bones’ station either because Aaron Watson ALWAYS gives credit for his success to GOD!! Just like most the guys in Tx country do!!

Y’all are a bunch of idiots and this story is full of crap and not even facts I listen to bobby bones every morning and there isn’t another tradio show out.there to even come close to competing with them! He does so much for others and charities as well so get your facts straight before you post shit that boat evwn true!

When ClearChannel decided to create the BBS for Country radio, they must have laughed and laughed. Probably had lots of drinks while discussing how backwoods and stupid the audience is. “They’ll accept any crap we shove down their ears” they probably said as the laughter went late into the night. I think they stole the idea from the movie Trading Places.

The fact that Bobby is still tweeting about it trying to justify himself and implying that what Aaron said was disrespectful makes it so hard to ignore. I hate to give him any attention but he knows just how to egg a situation on and makes me feel personally insulted. UGH.

Judging by Bobby’s subsequent behavior, in retrospect I am even more certain that his public campaign about supposedly being disrespected by Kacey Musgraves was a bunch of bogus, self-centered, shock jock BS.

That’s just Aaron’s demeanor. To some people it may come off as him sucking up Bobby, but he’d treat anyone that way. He’s just extremely kind hearted, non-confrontational and polite. Even if he were to have an issue with someone he’d be nothing but an absolute gentlemen to them.

The only issue I take with this article is you saying hipsters listen to Bobby Bones. If there’s one positive thing I can say about hipsters, it’s that they usually have pretty good taste in music, and wouldn’t be caught dead listening to a top 40 radio country morning show.

This summer I got the chance to meet Aaron Watson. I went to Texas this summer to spend some time with family and friends because I live in Maryland. We attended his show and a great amount of people came because they like his music because he talks about being a God loving family man who also loves his wife, his daughter and other daughter in heaven, his two boys, and also his fans who support him. During his show he always talks about God, his family, the support and love he has for the men and women who serve our country, and how he appreciates his fans who came out to watch him. After he was done, he told the crowd he was going to go and meet every single one of us who wanted that he would stand out there until he has met all of us. When it was getting close to our turn to go take pictures and say “hi” he called my friend and I “Little Lady” and “Sweetheart”. That’s just how he is and not only him but a lot of males in the south. I can’t believe she thought that he was being disrespectful to her because he respects his wife and his daughter as well as any other female that he comes across.

Just show’s how out of touch corporate country radio is. It is suppose to be COUNTRY show (predominantly a Southern genre) and they aren’t even familiar with the culture of it’s own artists. They were shocked that actual rural Southern people still talk like this.

I’ll tell u right now what happened. The exec producer got thrown off because he called her sweetheart in a sincere, kind manner and she was puzzled. She didn’t know what to do when somebody came in and didn’t say…… Waddup girl, won’t u slide that little sugar shaker over here, or….. I wanna get me some of that or…. Won’t u take a little ride with me, or girl u makin my speakers go boom boom! Bahahahahaha ðŸ˜‚ðŸ˜‚

It’s infuriating to think that someone can speak out of genuine kindness and then get called disrespectful towards women. But, if you say all that other shit people are totally cool with it. Fuck me!!! Sorry for cussing y’all, but this whole situation has ruffled my feathers and rustled my jimmies.

Why can’t country just be country. Real live instruments, a specific sonic style and lyrical cadence. Not that there can’t be variations of Country but you gotta draw the line somewhere and it seems that we’re so far passed that line we almost can’t see it anymore.

Regardless of the opinion of ‘Bobby Bones’ et al in Old Guard Nashville, Aaron Watson and countless other Texas/Red Dirt artists will continue creating both traditional and innovative new country music.

Personally, I can’t stand a lot of what comes out of Nashville, the slick overproduced sound, the ‘country rap,’ the so called ‘bro’ hits.

Country and music in general has many sub-genres. I’m happy to enjoy and support the music culture in Texas/Oklahoma and the Southwest. Nashville can stick with Taylor Swift if it wants.

Y’all are more than welcome to have your opinion about Bobby Bones and Aaron Watson. Whatever. I just want to say that your attack on him “hiding behind St. Jude’s Charity to back him’ is the lowest insult. The Raging Idiots have raised over a million dollars for this charity and have done so by traveling, entertaining people, and selling shirt and hats. This was started because of a staff member, Amy, whose mother passed of cancer and wanted to spread joy to others (which by the way yall are slacking on that via this article). You should reconsider how you trash someone for doing something that has helped so many people out and that has brought joy to so many who are suffering. Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

Don’t misquote me, especially if you’re going to use quotation marks. I never said Bobby Bones was ““hiding behind St. Jude”™s Charity to back him.” But I do stand behind my assertion that he attacks people and then uses charity as a shield. He’s done it numerous times just with this latest controversy, and I’ve written entire articles about him using this tactic before. Yes it’s great that he gives to charity, but that doesn’t giving him the latitude to unilaterally attack and smear others. If you ask me, using charity as a shield is more ignoble than ignoring charity.

And for the record, my dad died of Cancer the day before Christmas Eve when I was 5-years-old, and my mother is a breast Cancer survivor. But I don’t use any of those things as an excuse to be an asshole.

Bobby Bones might have raised a million dollars for St. Judes by traveling but my father is one of the top contenders for small market radio stations raking in well over $3.5 MILLION just on telethons alone. Just because he travels and raises money doesn’t mean that ALL of his proceeds go to St. Judes. they probably get 1/4th of his profits and the rest he uses for HIM, NOT THE CHILDREN. If he was worth a damn, he would grow some balls, MAN THE FUCK UP and say sorry to the people he’s offended.

I have a dear female friend and sister that would be dead if it wasn’t for St. Jude.

“Sweetheart” hurts your little feelings???? You little twit get a life! And Bobby Bones, your a douche and I don’t know why your are even on “Country” radio! Y’all need to move out of Texas or assimilate! Really…

Bobby bones buys joke sheets because he is intellectually vapid. He lifts from comics and talks about pop culture like the bachelor. He got syndication from clear channel because he is “safe”, and would never have the talent or balls to not hide behind bad country music. He’s a brainless jukebox.

Bobby Bones is one of those syndicated radio show hosts with a “Holier Than Thou” complex. Bobby Bones will attack anyone and everyone that he can to make his way to the top. My father has been in Radio for going on 38 years now and I know the industry pretty well. People like Bobby Bones are tearing country music apart piece by piece and flushing it down the crapper. Aaron is one of my good friends, I had the opportunity to meet him when he brought his first single to my dads office. and not to mention he lives in my home town of Abilene, TX. I have a personal friendship with him and he’s THE FARTHEST THING from disrespectful. I joined the Navy 3.5 years ago and while I was stationed in Chicago he put me on the guest list for me and 5 other people for a show he was playing there at a small bar. He also sent me a case this past week with 30 copies of his newest CD “The Underdog” for me to hand out to my friends who enjoy his music and also for people that might like his music. There are sooooo many more things I can say about Bobby Bones, Sam Hunt (how he’s a “designer artist” built and brought into fame by the money and influences of the powerful company and people of Clear Channel Communications), and the iHeartMedia company but this isn’t the time and place. if you want to get more information for future articles, feel free to email me.

I guess I won’t be disappointed to not hear Aaron Watson or Kevin Fowler on this guys show since I would never listen to it anyways. It’s the old saying if you have to explain they probably won’t get it anyway. Trying to explain to this demographic how Florida Georgia Line isn’t country would just fall on deaf ears.

I personally think this is the biggest load of crap I’ve heard in a long time!! I know Asron Watson because my ex husband used to play in his band and I have NEVER known him to be disrespectful towards anyone, more less a woman! Calling a woman a tramp is demeaning and disrespectful, but in no way,shape, or form is sweetheart anything less than a complement coming from Aaron. I don’t know where these guys grew up or how they were raised but Aaron is a very devoted family man who would never degrade a woman and I personally think any woman who got the opportunity to even be addressed as “sweetheart” by him should consider herself lucky. So to you guys who think not playing his music because of this has or is gonna make you look like a stand up kind of person or station, (blahahahaha) you should probably rethink that, then stand up and ask kick yourself in the ass for being so overly ridiculous about a term of endearment and then go get your census on how many listeners you just cost yourself!!! You can’t rewind idioticy.

What I don’t understand is Bobby said he didn’t let Aaron in because they didn’t have time for him, but yet they spent how long talking about the Sweetheart comment, and making it a bigger deal then it was in the first place, and then latter taking his phone call just to make it a bigger deal! Aaron Watson is Awesome, I saw no reason for a apology, it was just to make a Bobby look better, get over your self.

They didn’t want to let Aaron Watson in the studio because they didn’t think he was a big enough star, but they decided to use his presence as show fodder. When the producers thought it would be a hot topic, they put him on the phone. All this talk of disrespect, and I can’t imagine a more disrespectful move. I understand how logistically they may not be able to put him on the air if they already had things planned, but apparently they were willing to blow those plans out anyway.

Imagine if he did that to Waylon Jennings or Billy Joe Shaver? Aaron Watson has way more class than what I would have shown. It just goes to show you how stupid people are to even listen to his show let alone listen to so called Country radio. The only thing Country anymore is the name itself. Man that ?!x/! got me pissed off.

This is a SOLID article, one of the best in memory really. While I’m not an Aaron Watson fan, I am a “Bobby Bones”—whatever the complete polar opposite of a fan is. What a complete tool. I don’t buy singles, I buy albums. I don’t buy music so I can have the latest pop country garbage to put on a mixtape with Conway Twitty and T-Pain (as if). I buy music because I generally know I’m going to appreciate it and I want to hear what the artist has to say. I’ve spent hundred, if not thousands of dollars on MP3s from Amazon, and I’ve got a pretty fine catalog. Why would someone pay money to own a bro-country song anyway? Turn on some crappy top-40 FM “country” radio, I’m sure you’ll hear your favorite awful song within the hour.

Someone people get these liberal Yankees of the damn radio. That was mind numbing to even listen to. Since when is being called “sweetheart” an insult? Good lord, that’s the kind of PC bullshit we do NOT need in country, and definitely not country radio. It’s bad as it is. I’d love to know their opinion on the John Boy and Billy Show playing their “Hip To Be Queer” song. They’re probably think they were homophobic. People need to really lighten up.

I met Aaron while running the camera for an interview. He addressed me as “sweetheart”…I was flattered. He visits with his fans after the interview. I noticed he also called the 5 year old girls as well as the older female fans “sweetheart”. It isn’t meant to be derogatory, more like a term of endearment or I’d even go as far to say respect. In the south, every once in a while you come across a stranger who will address you as “sweetheart”…and they might offer you sweet tea too, so don’t be offended.
Aaron Watson is nothing but a gentleman, pure & simple!

In a work environment, it’s about impact, not intent. We teach, in corporate America, not to say such things because the impact on one person may be negative while others don’t mind. If one person is negatively impacted, for whatever reason, there may be grounds for sexual harassment. So basically, at any workplace, it’s just stupid to refer to others as sweetheart, honey, girl, darlin’, etc. “Culture” doesn’t matter.

I disagree, this is a business that caters to and was built around a specific culture. The employees of that business should be familiar with the culture. To a bigger point, that’s one of the things wrong with America. Everyone is so frikin politically correct now it’s sickening. We’re supposed to forsake our culture because it might negatively impact somebody. Good Lord somebody with a backbone please stand up.

Doesn’t matter what the business is or its culture. What matters is the law. Bottom line – if an employer receives a harassment complaint or suit, they want to win. It’s costs too much to lose. The only way to have a chance is to have the rules and enforce them. Some of it is bs and some of it is warranted. An employer has to protect everyone. Just responding to the “it’s okay in some situations” attitude. Bones played it bad.

At least we both agree that Bones played it bad. But that’s because he’s a cow patty and not particularly intelligent. He’s crafty, but I think that’s built into is DNA and really ain’t got much to do with his IQ.

But I believe if a business is built around a certain culture then the culture should be embraced.

I understand that because of political correctness and potential law suits that large corporations and businesses must enforce these bullshit rules. But what I’m sayin is that speaks to a larger problem in America. Everybody is trying to appease and not offend anybody.

This shows how out of touch these morons really are with real country music. Calling a girl sweetheart or darlin isn’t derogatory or demeaning its a term of indearment. Anybody wander why the hell this guy has a country music show any way? To me it seems more like he’s trying to turn into Howard stern (without the nudity) then trying to stay true to country music roots… Time for him to go….

I’ve worked with Aaron for a long time, and he is a friend. Though I was horrified to listen to my friend’s character get assassinated on the radio, what happened afterwards from the show was commendable, and I wanted to explain why I feel that way. Though I wasn’t there, I lived this experience in real time and know some of went down.

At the heart, this was a failure of context. Aaron owns his own label and always has. Usually when artists appear on those shows, they have labels who call ahead through proper channels, and an artist just showing up in the lobby felt perhaps a little aggressive from the context of the show, at least by normative music business standards. Aaron IS his label and has had to be on his hustle for 15 years to get to this amazing place, though he has help from us and others.

So Aaron reads this Facebook post by Bobby Bones late on Thursday night, and feels, this guy played my single on the air, said he liked it, my sales went way up, wrote in the post that he liked me, even though he had strong negative feelings about what was written, I just want to look him in the eye, shake his hand and say thank you for what he said about me. As someone that owns a small business, I know that when you sense that there is a negative energy brewing, you show up, shake hands, work out what needs working out and affirm positive energy. The Guardian article (which I agreed with) made Bobby Bones feel strongly about to write a defense of his industry over and Aaron didn’t want to be conflated in that when he felt Bobby had actually been respectful to him and been one of the only national radio people who HAD given him a forum. So Aaron is leaving for Houston on Friday to play the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and thinks I’ll just show up, shake his hand, leave CDs for the staff and because I’m grateful and I know he has this charity that means a lot to him, and I’ve just had the greatest professional week of my life, maybe I can give back by giving something to his charity.

From the show’s perspective, his just showing up probably felt aggressive and certainly out of the norm, so the producer is probably feeling weird when she goes out into the lobby to begin with.

Then the next cultural disconnect happens. Look, I completely get why a professional woman, who has worked hard to reach the level of being the producer on the most listened to country radio program in the country would feel the use of the term “sweetheart” could be demeaning, especially when you’re going out there thinking why is this guy in my lobby unannounced to begin with. I also know Aaron, and this was 1000% not in his heart. This was a term of endearment, albeit one that in that context, might not have been one that I would use.

So the deal goes down, the producer goes back into the studio and like, fuck this guy, after showing up unannounced, he condescends to me. Bobby defends his colleague on air and guts my friend while he’s sitting in a car outside the studio. I feel like I understand everyone’s motives, though there is a gulf of cultural disconnect happening all around.

But then the Twitter feeds for the show blows up from fans of Aaron that jump in to defend him, and the producer does an INCREDIBLY ADMIRABLE THING. She thinks, holy crap, did I misjudge this person, and we’ve just gone on air and flayed him. I think most people in this instance would dig in on their “fuck this guy” stance, but she found Aaron’s manager’s phone number, got in touch with Aaron, talked it out with him, they came to understand where the other was coming from, and went back to Bobby and said “we should put this guy on the air and clear the air.”

She did NOT have to do that. Bobby did NOT have to put him on the air. He may have agreed because it was good radio, or just maybe he did it out of a sense of fairness. I have no idea, but I appreciate that he did it. For his end, Aaron understood the cultural disconnect, apologized for making the producer feel how she felt, and all concerned came away with affection and respect for one another because they talked it out and said they were sorry for their parts in the brouhaha. And they genuinely were.

And there was no extortion on the charitable gesture. Aaron was going to do that all along, because he gives back all the time, and one good thing about owning your own label is that when you debut at #1 on the country album chart, you have enough money to give back. The show never knew that he was even planning on doing that until he talked about it on the air.

Look, I’m all about holding people to account, but in this instance, I wanted to share my thoughts, because though I was mad when the show kicked the shit out of someone I love and admire, they completely did the best they could afterwards when they could have really been assholes and let the whole thing die, with this guy’s reputation undeservedly in shreds with their large base of listeners, just as the national conversation about Aaron and his music was starting after 15 years of hard work.

Good, balanced thoughts David. I do think it is important that we recognize the effort put out at the end by The Bobby Bones Show to make sure there was no bad blood.

But I think one of the other reasons there was such a negative visceral reaction from many Aaron Watson fans, and from many Bobby Bones opponents (which there are many) is because it fits a pattern of behavior from Bobby to induce conflict, usually for material for his show, and then immediately attempt to portray himself as either the victim, or the bigger person. This way he gets both the attention, and the glory. Similar scenarios from Bobby have transpired involving Kacey Musgraves who he once called a “shit head” (while calling himself one at the same time, but still {and even makes the “sweetheart” gesture seem even more docile}), and he also has an open feud with Chris Young, and other country artists.

I also was very disappointed to find Bobby on Twitter last night, seeming to take a situation that had been resolved and everyone walked away from with a positive feeling, and go right back to implying that Aaron Watson did something that was sexist, and Bobby Bones was “defending ‘his’ girls.”

Nonetheless, I hope everyone can learn from this incident, and as you point out, cultural misunderstanding was at the heart of this conflict, and that why I feel in the long term the effort should be on attempting to resolve this issue as opposed to laying blame and passing judgement on people because of differences. Diversity should be the strength of American music, not a source for conflict.

This is just more evidence that corporate country radio is out of touch. The BBS is supposed to be a COUNTRY show. It’s staff members should be rural country people or at least people who understand and respect the formats culture. Not people who make a joke if it. Did you here the way were poking fun at the way he talked?

I didn’t hear them do that. After the on air thing, I just turned the radio off, because I wanted to just go find a drink to calm my nerves. Luckily no bars are open at 7:30am. I get that Bobby’s a provocative guy, and maybe he did do all of this in the interest of a bit, but I know that his producer’s motives were sincere and felt terribly that her instant (and understandable) reaction to being referred to as “sweetheart” in her workplace had led to him getting his ass kicked in a national forum, once SO SO many people had defended him. Maybe I just want to defend her. I don’t know Bobby Bones. Maybe you guys are right, but I just went on Twitter and it looks like, as of this morning, that Bobby and Aaron are going to work on a charity show together. So maybe they’re becoming frenemies?

Yup, sure was weird. I agree with ya bud. But without question there was a cultural divide present. And there shouldn’t be. It’s supposed to be a country show for country people about country music (predominantly southern country music and people). So I’d argue that the staff and hosts should be accustomed to southern rural culture (Better yet, rural southerners themselves). Calling a female sweetheart is not an insult in the South.

Yeah, but we all bring biases and our own cultural baggage to everything. Who knows where the producer comes from? I Heart Radio is a national concern, and that’s a national show. My point was that when she realized that the situation might have called for more nuance, she was the one that called Aaron and built a bridge, and she deserves credit for that. And Aaron deserves credit for understanding why she felt the way she did and owning his part of it. They are two excellent human beings, IMO.

We’re all going to fuck up and upset one another from time to time. All we can hope for is that we live in a world where, when we’ve upset someone, that we are humble and seek to understand one another and bring love to the situation rather than enmity. I think that’s what happened here.

Oh yeah, I feel ya bud. I definitely think she did the right thing in the end. I commend her for that. She seams like a very nice person. But she’s obviously out of touch with southern culture. She should be a producer on a pop station show.

I unfortunately followed a link from one of the many articles on this topic and ended up on Bobby Bones facebook page. What a bunch of gullible fans. They act like he is some rebel telling off “the suits”. It seems they like to refer to “the suits”.

They don’t realize that “the suits” made Bobby Bones, they tell him what to do and when they decide his 15 minutes are over, they will toss Bobby Bones.

As for the $1 million dollars for charity, that’s all? For someone in his position if he was serious and not really in it for PR, he could have raised a lot more.

I do see a positive in all this – the overwhelmingly negative response on the official Bobby Bones Show Facebook page is enough to make me smile (at the least), and (at the most) will hopefully either a) gain Aaron Watson’s music a ton of new fans, and/or b) put a serious crack in the seriously misplaced grand and glittery impression mainstream radio and its sheeple fans have of this idiot.

I never listen to Bobby Bones, but the fact that “sweetheart” is offensive to these “women”, but the lyrical portrayal of women is and has been far more offensive in the music and artists Bobby Bones plays.

This is exactly why I don’t listen to Nashville country. Texas country is the only thing playing in my truck. You obviously don’t know crap about Aaron Watson, who he is, or eat he stands for. “how old is he? 60?” SERIOUSLY!

I saw Arron Watson preform 3 times this last year at the same bar in my hometown and play to a packed crowd that loves and appreciates his music and what he stand for. He is an awesome God fearing man that I have had the chance to visit with on several occasions and that I hold the utmost respect for. A man that plays to crowds of 400-1000 people 3 nights a week ends his shows with the statement “Make sure you get home safely tonight and get up and get up early tomorrow and go to church” gets my vote every time!

As a women working in another largely male-dominated industry (agriculture), I do get why being called “sweetheart” could be taken as disrespectful, though I think Alayna took it way too far. In an industry like that, you do get older men especially talking down to you so it can be easy to take something meant to be innocent and nice like that and have it seem condescending – because you’re used to it seeming condescending.

I’m sure Aaron Watson is a stand-up guy and I like his music, and saw him play at Summerfest in Milwaukee (to a smaller crowd as Texas country isn’t as well known there). Bobby Bones was being disrespectful in this case by bringing this on-air when it wasn’t that big of a deal. I get his job is to manufacture story lines, but this was ridiculous.

I would just like to say that I have met Mr. Watson several times and have conversed with him on various social media. I have NEVER once seen or heard him talk to a woman with disrespect. I, myself, am a female and he has been nothing but a total gentlemen! “Sweetheart” is a term of endearment and he was raised right. Any woman would be lucky to have such an awesome man respect her in such a way.

You obviously wrote this without listening to the entire Bobby Bones Show when Aaron stopped by. I suggest you do better research before writting an article with misinformation. The entire miscommunication with Aaron was straightened out during the next segment. It sounds like you are bitter and trying to cause problems where there are none. Bones often plays songs he chooses, just not the majority of songs because that is left for the local radio stations to do based on their area.

“The entire miscommunication with Aaron was straightened out during the next segment.”

You mean the one that plays on the embedded player at the end of the article? Prefaced by, “Later on The Bobby Bones Show Friday morning, even though they wouldn”™t let Aaron Watson in the building when he wanted to see Bobby in person just to patch things up on a frigid morning, they took a phone call from Aaron, and after offering $1,000 to Bones”™ charity, they finally buried the hatchet.”

i knew his post as dj wasn’t worth much when the corporate sell outs moved him from pop radio to country. Corporate radio is like a cheap restaurant chain – lacking personality, just an assembly line of crap – which is exactly what happened to the morning show Bones took over in Austin. I don’t know where he was before Austin; his show was horrible here and continues to be in Nashville. I obviously don’t listen.

LOL at anyone in country radio calling anyone but country radio and bro-country disrespectful to women! Talk about the pot calling the kettle. I want to like Bobby’s show but it’s too pop zoo crew and disrespectful to country music and women (bro-country lyrics and doesn’t play anywhere near enough female artists, which is disrespectful to them and their fans). I want to like country radio again but it’s too pop and disrespectful to country music and women (bro-country lyrics and doesn’t play anywhere near enough female artists, which is disrespectful to them and their fans). Let us know when we don’t have to wait 10, 20, or 30 songs to hear a country or female song and you’re allowed to play 2 in a row.

“Bobby Bones and his subordinates and listeners, these are not country people. These are urbanites and suburbanites and hipsters. They listen to Sam Hunt, and their inclusion in country music is taking the culture war and making country music its innermost battleground. Hey, it”™s great if people from the suburbs and cities want to listen to country music, but have some respect for the format, and don”™t try to force your uninformed values on others.”

That’s the core of my beef with these people. You see the same kind of thing happening when they move into rural counties because they want to try “country living”, and then get bent out of shape because dust from a farmer’s tractor coats their BMW or because they can smell the cows when the wind’s right. Some have gone so far as to (when enough of them have moved in) try to get zoning boards to change the zoning to get rid of the farms. If I try a new kind of music or new kind of lifestyle and find that it doesn’t suit me, I move on. I don’t try to force everybody who likes it to change to my way. I just go on my way.

Bobby Bones, Sam Hunt, Chase Rice, and Florida Georgia Line need to team up and called themselves FAKE COUNTRY TOOLBOX BAND. They all have no clue what country music really is. maybe Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean too.

Living in a market where I have 2 country radio options (both owned by Clear Channel and play primarily the garbage listed above) I try to make listening to this clown work on my commute. No more though. .

What is the cataclysmic event that needs to occur where country music purges the nonsense? Is it even possible? You would think with Aaron Watson having the #1 album – somebody, somewhere has to say “this isn’t working”.

The silver lining in all of this that I get to move away from this terrible Baltimore/DC market in 2 months.

I don’t know if it’s been mentioned in the comments here, but Bones hasn’t let it go. He recently tweeted and has since deleted a message that essentially mocked religious people who are open about their beliefs, but are found out to be “dirt balls”, This is a direct hit toward Aaron, as he is open about his Christian beliefs. And don’t think it wasn’t. Bobby can’t stand not having the last word and being “right.” He will have his own reckoning because of his narcissistic ego and the unworthy way he treats people. The time is coming and it won’t be saved by hiding his true self behind raising money for non-profits and charity groups. It’s all about image and he thinks he is bulletproof. Pride comes before the fall.